2356 ORD. XII. Solanacew, seu Lurideé.  ATROPA MANDRAGORA, 
fury.<. They employed it principally in continued watchings, and 
in those more painful and obstinate affections which were found to 
resist less powerful medicines.* 
It was also used in melancholia, convulsions, rheumatic pains, 
scrophulous tumours, &c. and to answer these purposes, either the 
expressed juice of the cortical part of the root, inspissated, or a 
vinous decoetion, or infusion of the root, was directed.‘ 
The leaves of Mandrake, boiled in milk, and used as a cataplasm, 
are, according to Boerhaave, likewise to be considered as an useful 
application to indurated tumours.‘ 
The root also, employed externally, from the later and Tess equi-. ’ 
vocal experience of Hoffberg,* was found extremely efficacious in 
discussing various glandular tumefactions. And in some cases of 
gout this author tried its effects internally; from which we find that 
in a dose of three grains it mitigated the pains, which afterwards 
returned. A similar effect was produced in other cases by a pro- 
portionate quantity of the root in the form of a tincture. 
These experiments shew that the Mandrake acts as an opiate, 
which confirms the opinion entertained of it by the ancients; and 
hence it may be concluded, that, if not administered with great 
care, it may prove a deleterious and mortal narcotic. Th:s caution 
is the more necessary, as the berries of Mandrake are said to have 
been eaten without producing any bad effect." 
* Hippocr. de lacis in hom, Ed. Foes. p. 240. Areteus, Acut. curat. Lii. cap. 6, 
Cel. Aurel. L. i. c. 4. 4 Dioscord. M. M. l. 4. c. 76. © Dios. 1. ¢. 
! Hort. Lugd. Bat. Tom, 2. 512. 
® Vet. Acad. Handi. 1763, vol. 24. p. 229. Pallas also mentions it as of frequent; 
ase for chronic diseases in some parts of Russia. See Reise d. Russ. 1. Th. p. 49s. 
* See Ray, d, c 
